Fusion
by Fanelian Embassy
Summary: Challenge fic: each chapter written by a separate author. 1st challenge: Fusion - To be set post series, indicating in some way of a V/H relationship or intention of it occurring. 1,000 words or less. Author this chapter: ookami123
1. Suils Saifir

**Welcome to the first Fanelian Embassy Challenge fic**

**Challenge: Fusion**

_(To be set post series, indicating in some way of a V/H relationship or intention of it occurring)._

_1,000 words._

A/N: This is a set of one-shots, each chapter written by a _different_ _author_ in response to the challenge, and all _completely_ _unconnected._ The author who has written each chapter will be in the chapter title box ^^ Starting with me, Suils. Don't let that put you off the rest though!

Lastly, enjoy!

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Author: Suils Saifir

The Talking Spirit Box

Even as King of an entire nation he had moments which tested his patience.

Allen Schezar was one person that seemed to believe it was his mission from birth to irritate the living hell out of him whenever they met. Even four years after their first meeting, their rivalry cooling somewhat with Hitomi's decision, Van still marvelled in anger at how Allen excelled at infuriating him. Ranging from his arrogance, condescension, overbearing idiocy and the unerring ability to piss off any male being within a mile, the Asturian Knight had only surpassed his usual standard with his current topic of choice.

After ten minutes of the same drivel he had heard on quite a few occasions, he couldn't help but slip a hand into his pocket and take out something that would keep him sane. Maybe it could offer him advice on how to allay Allen's fears over his sister's _popularity._ Personally, he thought it was extremely entertaining that Celena was unintentionally following in her brother's footsteps. Not that the Lady was doing anything to incite the gentlemen vying for her affections, Celena was most refined—unlike Allen. But there was definitely something that seemed to attract people to both members of the Schezar family.

The device in his hand shook and he smirked as he was silently rebuked, then another shake offering him a suggestion. Taking a deep breath and instilling faith in his correspondent, he looked to the man leaning against the battlements of Fort Castello, unusually silent and spoke, "You do realize Allen that your sister has yet to encourage any man requesting courtship. She can look after herself."

His breath condensed before him and through the small haze he could see the blonde knight turn to stare at him briefly before shaking his head dismissively and turning back to look out at the scenery. His reply was quiet and somewhat melancholy, barely audible as he muttered about his sister and how she needed protection.

Van didn't say anything, aware of just how guilty Allen felt for everything his younger sister had gone through, and how futile it was to even try to persuade him that he was faultless. Even Celena's own voice had been unable to break through the fog of guilt surrounding the knight. The King himself saw it as a lost cause and was about to reach for what he had already placed back into his trouser pocket when it shook, reverberating off the wall he leant against and pulling Allen back from his reverie in shock.

Calmly, he pulled the BlackBerry from his pocket, scrolling along the long message he had received, rolling his eyes at the sheer amount of emoticons used. He was proudly an adept of replying seamlessly whilst turning his gaze to the knight staring in utter shock at the device in his hand. It truly showed just how much one person could change another as he bit his tongue in amusement as he added _lol_ on the end of his message.

Returning his attention to Allen staring befuddled at the metal device in his hand, he smiled and answered the unspoken question, "It's a communication device from the Mystic Moon. Hitomi gave it to me." The words came out of him smoothly despite the fact his relationship with the seeress had been kept a secret. Van felt it was almost a relief to finally confide in someone, not that Allen seemed to register his words too much, staring instead at the BlackBerry in his hand.

"How…just how…so you can talk to Hitomi?" Van looked at the remaining incredulity on his friend's face and replied that he could, a smile drifting onto his face before Allen asked in confusion, "But I can't hear anything. What are you doing?"

Sighing and looking down as Hitomi replied yet again, filled with shocked emoticons at his use of _text language_ as she called it; he looked back up and tried his best to explain just what a BlackBerry was to his befuddled friend.

xxx

Four days later, Dryden found himself accosted by a frazzled Asturian Knight who he had come to hate less and begrudgingly respect. He rolled his eyes in anticipation of yet another tirade about Celena and how she needed to be kept sheltered. Maybe Millerna could have a word with both Schezar siblings he though.

However Dryden was completely unprepared for the breathless torrent of words from Allen as he pointed to the Fanelian King and declared he could speak to Hitomi, _speak _to her using a piece of metal that lit up with many strangely shaped buttons, which moved around and made strange noises. The knight moved his wide eyed glare from one unsuspecting King to another and the Asturian King felt unable to respond. Allen huffed once more and turned on his heel, stalking out of the room.

Staring at the Knight muttering under his breath, Dryden wondered if insanity was inherited in the Schezar family.

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Words: 827

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Once again thanks for reading and reviews are golden.

Suils xx


	2. Rockin Sockin Robot

Author: Rockin Sockin Robot

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The Unscheduled Appointment

"Come in, Miss Kanzaki."

Dryden Fassa sat comfortably reclined on a Freudian-style couch—the kind meant for patients but which was somehow never put to its proper use. He held a file in one hand and gestured for his patient to sit on an ottoman with the other.

"Thank you, doctor," said Hitomi. "I appreciate you seeing me. I know my problem is a strange one."

"Are you having these dreams regularly?"

"They're not dreams," said Hitomi automatically. "They actually happened. That's the problem."

Dryden narrowed his eyes sceptically. He glanced at the papers in his hand, and again at Hitomi.

"Alright, well... tell me about your first dream."

* * *

Hitomi woke up with a start. She'd been studying late in the library at school and must have fallen asleep. Cursing her tiredness, she reached for her probably cold coffee, determined to keep working.

Only the coffee cup was gone. So were her laptop and notes.

Bewildered, Hitomi looked around and realized she wasn't at the school library at all, but what seemed a luxurious private study. She sat not on a cheap wooden stool, but a fine, black leather armchair.

"Shit," she muttered. Was this some kind of joke?

Hitomi got up from her seat and looked around. The study was more like a library—it opened to three floors, every inch of available space crammed with bookshelves. It was an impressive sight, but one Hitomi had certainly never seen before. What was more, as she looked out the window, she saw—but didn't believe—both the moon and the Earth, in gigantic proportions, hanging innocently in the sky.

"Well, your psychiatrist can go to hell!" cried a voice nearby.

Hitomi froze in panic.

A young scholar—probably Hitom's age—burst suddenly into the study, and slammed the door angrily behind him. He had unruly black hair, was clad in an old-fashioned suit, and his eyes were red—that is, the actual coloration of his irises was a deep scarlet shade. On his nose was a distinguishing smudge of fresh black ink.

It took him a moment to notice Hitomi was there. When he did, he stopped in his tracks and turned white, as if he'd seen a ghost.

"What are you doing here?" he spluttered.

"I – I'm sorry, I fell asleep… I was studying in the library…"

The young man looked at her dazedly for a moment, blinked, and then seemed to come to his senses. He cleared his throat and adopted an authoritative tone.

"You're a student here?"

He cast a doubtful glance at her strange clothes. Hitomi nodded nervously.

"I _am_ a student, but I've never seen this place before…"

"Of course you haven't—it's strictly off-limits to regular students," he replied, shortly. "You're lucky I don't have time to report you to your housemistress. You must leave immediately."

"My housemistress…?"

But the snobbish young man already seized her by the hand and dragged her out of the room. He opened the door, ready to shove her out, when he suddenly stopped and very slightly drew her close. Hitomi thought she saw his eyes soften.

"This isn't a dream, right?" he whispered. "You're actually here?"

Hitomi nodded her head, though utterly confused—especially by his changed tone. She was uncomfortably close to him, unable to move away because of his hold on her hand. He leaned towards her and a deep blush swept over her face.

"I can hardly believe it," he said, still coming closer. "You look just like you did in my dream…"

"Who are you…?"

He was much too close. Hitomi realised, too late, that his hands were pressed against the small of her back. He gathered her up in his arms, leaned in, and, before Hitomi could react, he pressed his lips against hers.

In the next moment, the scene rapidly dissolved before her eyes. Hitomi felt the weight of his lips lessening. When she moved to kiss him back, she met only cold air.

* * *

"It sounds like just a dream. You had others like it?"

Hitomi exhaled impatiently.

"I know how it sounds… but right after I woke up, I went to wash my face. When I looked in the mirror, there was an ink stain on my cheek."

"Ink?"

"Yes, there was ink on his nose."

Still, Dryden looked unconvinced.

"You're a _student_, Miss Kanzaki..."

"Look... I have a laptop, I don't use pens, and I never, ever come in contact with that kind of ink!"

"Did any of your other dreams leave any such traces on your face?"

"No."

Dryden idly took some notes. Hitomi had a vague suspicion that he was doodling.

"Tell me, Miss Kanzaki—why do you think you're having these dreams?"

Hitomi looked at him blankly.

"I don't know what you mean."

"What is it that bothers you about them? Why did you come here today?"

Hitomi was flabbergasted. Was he not listening to a _word_ she was saying?

"They aren't just dreams, doctor. I saw _the Earth and the moon in the sky_. That's not the kind of detail I could come up with on my own."

"Hitomi, do you have a boyfriend?"

Hitomi rolled her eyes. Dryden tried to look consoling.

"You know, it's perfectly normal for young, single persons your age—"

"Excuse me," she cut in impatiently, "but this isn't some stupid fantasy. There was ink on my face! The kind from fountain pens or a – a feather..."

"It could have come from anything."

"It actually happened, alright?!"

But Dryden shook his head disbelievingly.

"Miss Kanzaki, I'm sorry, but this isn't productive. Come back when you're prepared to speak honestly. Now excuse me… I have another patient."

"...Fine."

Hitomi got up from the ottoman, fuming, and turned to leave.

Just then, a young man with unruly black hair stepped into Dryden's office. As they passed each other, Hitomi saw a flash of scarlet in his eyes.

He smiled at her mysteriously, saying only—

"Van Fanel."

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Words: 995

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"Hello - Robo (or Automaton) here. :) Thanks for reading my take on the Earth-Gaea fusion theme. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I had fun writing it. I don't think I've ever posted anything under 1000 words before, haha... hopefully everything is okay. :p Kudos to Suils for setting this up. Please give this project all your best support. Love, love, love!"


	3. les amoureux

Author: les amoureux

The Necklace

Twenty-three years old. Years old.

Hitomi mentally winced at the thought of such a large number. It felt like just yesterday she was in high school and helping save the foreign planet from the destruction of war. That had been eight long years ago and so much time had passed. New memories were made, new friends had come, old friends had gone and moved on with their lives.

Sighing, Hitomi took a sip of her warm tea as she sat once again in the kitchen at her parents house. Her mother was out getting supplies for the celebratory dinner she was preparing while her Father and brother were in the main living room watching television. She wondered how much she had changed in these past eight years. In many ways she felt the same way she had at fifteen yet she knew she had changed a lot.

'I wonder,' she mentally mused with a sideways smile, 'how much the gang on Gaea have changed? How much Van has changed.'

With the name of the King of Fanelia on her lips Hitomi felt her cheeks flush and a silly grin spread across her face. Knowing Van he was probably the same pig-headed boy (correction: he was only a few months younger than Hitomi after all) who ran into everything head first without thinking of the consequences.

"Van," she whispered aloud then expelled a deep breath. "What are you doing with your life right now?"

* * *

"Happy Birthday Hitomi!" her family all shouted in unison as her Mother proudly placed the small birthday cake with (gulp) twenty-three candles on top of it.

"Make a wish honey! But don't tell or else it won't come true," smiled her mother as she sat down before reminding Hitomi's father to take photographs as Hitomi blew out the candle.

"Wish for a time machine Hitomi since you're so old now!" smirked her brother which earned him a full blown glare from Hitomi.

Taking a deep breath Hitomi paused a moment and, closing her eyes, wished that she could somehow talk to Van again and just hear his voice.

Also, you know, that he hopefully wasn't married or engaged or something along those lines. Hey, it was her birthday. Hitomi felt she could be a little greedy today.

Once the candles were blown out ("Wow Hitomi, I'm surprised you were able to do it in one shot since you're getting so old," laughed Mamoru earning a smack on the arm by their father) the slices of cake were passed around and everyone fell into familial silence as they happily ate. Once done the dishes were cleared away and presents were given to the birthday girl.

With a smile Hitomi gingerly held a small box in her hands and looked up at her parents quizzically. "It doesn't seem like a pair of socks," she teased before tearing in. Inside the box laid gingerly upon soft cotton was one of the most beautiful necklaces Hitomi had ever seen! A thin silver chain preciously held small blue beads with a silver feather pendant which looked so light and delicate Hitomi worried it might fly away into the night.

"I know you gave your old necklace to someone very special years ago and when I saw it I thought it would be the perfect replacement," her mother smiled as tears filled Hitomi's eyes and she thanked her parents. Carefully, Hitomi removed it from its container and slipped it over her head. The weight of this new beautiful necklace felt foreign against her skin where the once powerful pendant had laid before. It was different yet...

Wonderful.

* * *

After the dishes were cleared and her family members went back to their regularly scheduled night activities Hitomi retreated to the safe confines of her room. The more she thought about the light weight of the new necklace around her neck the more she missed Gaea. Missed the friends she made there.

Missed Van.

Sitting down at her desk she sighed deeply before looking out the window into the night sky. It was a full moon tonight and more than anything Hitomi wished she could see Gaea in the sky and know what was happening there with everyone. How they had moved on with their lives after the Destiny War.

"Van..." she whispered aloud staring out into the night sky.

Once again she mentally shook herself. Why was she going down such a depressing train of thought on her birthday? Why?

Because she was twenty-three years old. And it was almost eight years since she had last been to Gaea. Had last seen everyone. Last seen Van.

"Oh Hitomi, grow up," she muttered to herself as she laid her head down on the desk. Hanging over the edge of the desk she felt the dull pull of the necklace as it swung back and forth in the air. Closing her eyes she allowed her mind to wander one last time to Gaea before she shut the book on it and tried not to think about the planet again... at least for tonight.

As she felt her body relax more a single thought and person entered her mind. A slight grin on her face she wondered if, like her old necklace, this one had any trace elements of magic and powers. Perhaps, she giggled to herself, the true magic was within her and the necklace wasn't where the powers centered from? Wasn't the power of Atlantis all about the power of will? It was really an amusing thought, she mused as a full grin spread across her face.

'Hey Van,' she thought with a cynical note, 'I got a new necklace with a feather and thought I'd try it out. What's up?'

Her laughter filled her ears that perhaps she really was mental in trying out an ordinary necklace and believing the power of Atlantis would work on Earth.

'Hitomi?' she heard whispered in her mind. Her eyes flew open and heart lurched.

"Van?"

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Word Count: 999

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les amoureux notes: I know I'm positively evil for leaving it that way but hey, you all have imaginations. *wink* Plus I think if I wrote more my beta might kill me ("pick a tense and stick with it! GEEZ!") and there was a word count limit. I don't know about you guys but every birthday of mine is like a natural meltdown as to turning another year older. My 24th (I know I'm old) was bad last year; my 25th will be epic in March. Sigh.

Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne. Obviously.


	4. Javchan

Author: Jav_chan

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**The Green Fairy**

_Hitomi brings absinthe to the world of Gaea._

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It was hard to concentrate on anything other than the agony pounding in her skull. Gritting her teeth she tried to raise her head enough to see what time it was but the light was too harsh and her clock wasn't where it should have been. She tried to think past the pain to remember how she had crawled into bed last night. The sunlight made her cry out and bury her head back underneath the covers with a whimper. A heavy warmth settled over her back, comforting and familiar, as she pulled closed against a solid body. She wanted to smile but the pounding of her skull made her grimace.

_Van._

Knowing that he was close it was easier to think past the pounding agony. Hitomi knew that it probably wouldn't do much but she moved closer and tangled her ankle against his calf. She moved closer to that solid warmth, whimpering when a hand brushed over the curve of her bare hip. It was only when her cheek brushed against cool silk that she froze.

Van hardly ever wore clothes to bed.

For a brief moment a feeling of panic furled in her belly at the many possibilities of who it could have been. Although it had been a private party of all of their close friends that remained after the war she still recalled that there had been a fair number of eligible nobles that Millerna had sneaked aboard the Crusade that had expressed an interest in meeting the Seer who served Escaflowne. She had been groped more than once last night, but any of those nobles who had tried had found themselves with broken fingers. Of course, that was only if Van hadn't seen the attempts the other men made for her attention, however unwanted they were. She never would have guessed that a drunk Van was a highly possessive king who liked to threaten other men with castration.

She really needed to get the hell out of this bed. So when her molester's hand tangled up in her hair she didn't hesitate to turn her head and bite down hard on that hand. The metallic taste of blood had her spitting as she twisted away violently after landing a solid kick in the vicinity of where she guessed his balls were.

She fell gracelessly to the marble floor. Gods, it was _cold_. Feeling more than a little desperate she looked around for her clothes, for _something_, to cover herself with.

"Van wasn't kidding when he called you a hell cat, was he Hitomi?"

The cultured smoothness of that voice had her freezing, even as she located the cloak she had worn last night to cover herself with. When she saw the long golden hair spread across the dark Fanelian coverlet—why had they ended up in Van's bed?—she paled and she found herself only able to say one thing.

"Oh hell. Fuck no!"

XXX

She was never going to forgive him, Van knew that with an unyielding certainty. It didn't matter that this was all entirely her fault. If there was one thing Allen had taught him then it was that the female was always right.

Not caring how unmasculine it sounded Van crawled to the edge of his bed and whimpered.

"Van~" The voice was husky and faintly menacing in a way that made his skin crawl and his stomach twist. All he could remember was that fine hair, the disturbing softness of that slim body, and remember the warm breath as loving, threatening words, were whispered into his ear by a husky voice.

How did this happen? Van couldn't quite stop himself for letting out a blood curdling shriek when that slight hand that had suddenly become so callused gripped his bicep and pulled him back.

XXX

Merle probably would have found the whole situation amusing if it hadn't been so thoroughly disturbing on so many levels. Finding Hitomi, her skin rubbed raw enough that it had started to bleed, made her realize that it was so much more serious than Millerna had thought. Even the Asturian Queen, with her own sordid relationship with the Caeli Knight, hadn't been able to stop from laughing when Hitomi had told the two of them.

"_It could have been worse." Millerna said, her blue eyes bright with suppressed laughter. "You could have ended up with Lord Meiden…again."_

Hitomi had looked so stricken at that remark that Merle couldn't but pity her. The young woman certainly had her own share of problems with suitors and stalkers since the end of the war.

This was specifically why she needed to talk to Van. The two awkward lovers were terrible when it came to incidents such as this. Always had been ever since the incident on the bridge.

XXX

"Hitomi."

The way Hitomi looked at him when he approached, blushing vividly, didn't bother him so much as the way the skin on her arms were too red and covered with bandages. He couldn't ignore that.

"You slept with Allen." The words weren't a question, but for once he didn't feel that hot surge of jealousy that he normally felt whenever Allen was around. He was too busy dealing with the concern that Hitomi was beating herself up for something she really had no control over and his own horror. Van didn't say another word as he sat next to her, and pulled her close. Maybe her presence would cleanse him.

"I'm sorry." He didn't like the way she faintly trembled as she spoke, and his hands move to play with her hair.

"Don't worry about it, Hitomi." Van pressed a kiss to her forehead. "That was the alcohol. Besides, I slept with Dilandau."

**That** made her stop and look up at him.

"Don't you mean Celena?" She sounded too stunned to be jealous.

Van shuddered. "It was Dilandau. A side effect from the absinthe."

"She regressed?!"

Van could only whimper, "Hitomi just promise me you will never bring absinthe here again."

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Words: 1,000

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This ended up being more like WTF then I had intended. Le sigh.

**Hope you all enjoyed it.**


	5. mysisterisasquijum

Author: mysisterisasquijum

The First Snow Fall

Winter has always been my favorite time of the year. Most people think that I'm crazy to like such a dreary season, but I don't see it that way.

It's a magical season where everything goes to sleep under a white fluffy blanket of snow. Where you can curl up next to the fire with hot coco, a book, and let the world just melt away. There's tobogganing, snowman building, snowball fights and snow angels.

When I tried to explain this to Merle she gave me _that look._ The look she always gives me when I do something strange that reminds her that I'm from another planet. She then argued that snow was only frozen water that sticks to the bottom of your boots that leaves behind puddles for the unsuspecting to step in.

I don't blame her… not really. She _is_ a cat after all; a cat who's birthday is in the middle of the summer. I can see why she wouldn't understand the beauty of this wonderful season.

Van was no help. He merely smiled at the both of us then went back to his paper work. That's always his response whenever Merle and I start arguing. He never takes a side.

To top it all off, it's been unseasonably dry this year – or so I've been told. There have been a few snowfalls, but none have stayed and now it's _two days_ before my birthday and there's no snow! How can I really celebrate my first birthday in this new country that I now help govern, without any snow?

I exhaled and watched my breath quickly turn into white vapor that lingered for a while, and looked over the sleepy city of Fanelia. In a couple of days those streets would be alight with laughter and song, as everyone would be celebrating my birthday. The best thing about having my birthday in the winter here was that we could keep the celebration small. No dignitaries besides our friends dared to test the weather, as normally we'd be snowed in by now.

Once again I sighed before I grudgingly left the balcony that was attached to the royal suite where Van was waiting for me. Once inside I removed my heavy coat, mitts, hat, scarf, and boots. Then I changed into a nightgown and slid into bed next to my husband.

It amazes me that no matter how cold my hands and feet get, he never flinches away. He simply pulls me closer to him, in an attempt to warm me up faster. He kissed me in the forehead, check, and my frozen nose.

"Don't worry it will come." He assured me.

I sighed once more as I melted into his embrace, and hoped that he was right.

XxXxXxX

Before I knew it I was being shaken awake. It was just before dawn as there was next to no light except the low glow that was coming off of the embers in the fireplace. "Hitomi wake up!" was my husband's excited whisper.

I slowly turned toward him, squatted next to the bed. "Hun?"

"Come and see this."

I allowed him to pull me from the warm bubble that was our bed over to the icy doors that lead out to the balcony. He indicated that I should put on my boots and helped me into my coat. With my winter gear on once again, he stood in front of me, with his back to the doors his hands on the handles. Once he established that I was awake and fully dressed, he threw the doors open to reveal a spectacular view.

Over the past few hours it had snowed. _Really _snowed. There must have been two feet already, and the frozen flakes were still falling from the heavens. The flakes were the size of golf balls and falling straight down.

I had never seen such large snowflakes in my entire life! I stepped forward out onto the balcony, the first to make tracks, and heard the wonderful crunch of new snow under my boot.

However, this was only a side to the magic of this early morning. The real magic was in how quiet everything was. There was nothing. No wind, no nighttime animals scurrying or flying from here to there, and the snow dampened the sound of the guards on duty, because there was just the sound of our breathing, as if we were the only two people on Gaea.

I heard the faint crunch of snow as he came up behind me, and I felt his arms wrap around my waist. "See. I told you it would come."

I turned to face him, being careful to stay in his embrace. I knew that there must have been a gigantic smile on my face as I wrapped my arms around his neck to pull him down into a kiss. It was not a fiery passionate kiss, but a slow and lingering kiss, much like the white dancers falling around us.

When we finally broke apart he gently turned me back around so that I could lean my head against his chest. Standing there gazing over our city I could feel the beat of his heart through his coat as he leaned down to whisper in my ear, "Happy Birthday."

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Word count: 882

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**A/N: Hello everyone! I hope that you all enjoyed reading this as much as I had writing it. Now I know that those of you out there who are familiar with my other stories are probably wondering where those chapters are. Do not fear! They are on their way; I've just been supper busy with school. The next and final chapter of **_**Dreams**_** is currently being worked on and I hope to have it out before the end of my semester, but there are some major changes that I need to fix before I will be happy this it's release. **

**mysisterisasquijum**

**p.s.**

**Just for the record my favorite time of the year is late summer. **


	6. The Moonspinner

**Author:_ The Moonspinner_**

**The Passing**

**There would be three moments in her life that Hitomi Kanzakhi would never forget.**

**The third was about to pass in exactly two minutes and fifteen seconds.**

*****

_She hated planes._

_There hadn't been time for anything else. She had to be standing on the beaches of __Fernando de Noronha at exactly __12:30:20 tomorrow._

"_Travelling alone?" An elderly woman asked gesturing to the empty seat on her right._

_She nodded._

"_Then would you mind terribly if I sat here while my husband sorts out the mess?" _

_Hitomi nodded again._

"_Are you going to Noronha?" she asked cheerfully._

"_Yes."_

_Taking no notice of Hitomi's distant expression or monosyllabic response she said enthusiastically, "Hundreds of beaches and nice people. Perfection!" _

_Hitomi agreed that it probably was. _

_The elderly woman looked at her shrewdly before saying, "Pretty girl going there all alone? Now that sounds all wrong!" She smiled knowingly, "Is he meeting you there?"_

_Hitomi smiled very gently, unable to ignore the pleasant picture that it suggested. _

_Her answer, however, was far from pleasant. _

_She said in a glum, miserable way "Unfortunately. Yes."_

"_Oh dear! Breaking up with him are you?" she asked sympathetically._

_And again Hitomi nodded._

***

She tipped the bellhop generously before she asked him, in bad Portuguese, whether he knew Boldró beach.

The boy admitted he did, but added in a pressing under-voice, "Senhorita, you mustn't go there! We do not. It is… perigosa."

Hitomi frowned, "Dangerous?"

He nodded vigorously and said, "There are penhascos."

"Cliffs?"

More vigorous nods.

She smiled reassuringly "I won't go then. But is it on_ this_ island? And is it so very dangerous?"

Relieved and now pleased that such a pretty Senhorita wanted to talk to him he answered with a smile.

By the end of that interview Hitomi knew the island like the back of her hand.

*****

"_What do you mean you're going… where again?" Amano asked with a confused look._

_Yukari sat beside him silently._

"_Noronha." Hitomi repeated patiently. "For a holiday." _

"_You definitely need one!" he agreed. Then hesitantly, "But travelling alone…"_

_Yukari cut across her husband, "For how long?"_

"_Two weeks."_

_Husband and wife exchanged uneasy looks._

_Yukari reached across the table and grabbed Hitomi's hands. "Tomi, what's going on?" she asked quietly. _

_Hitomi sighed and pulled her hands away to reach into her bag._

_A scrap of paper was flung at Yukari. _

"_Read it."_

_With a bemused look Yukari began to read, __**"The eclipse expected on the 15**__**th**__** of this month is the second eclipse in recorded history that will last over ten minutes. The first occurred precisely on the 15**__**th**__** of January 2010 BC. Scientists believe at that exact moment a meteor crashed into the Atlantic Ocean causing the tidal wave that wiped out several of the area's low-lying islands. Certain historians say that the legendary Atlantis was one of them. Several private expeditions to locate the ruins of the mythical island have begun at **__**Fernando de Noronha, an archipelago of 21 islands offering the closest land base to explore the central Atlantic.**__**" **_

"_Seriously?" Amano asked. "It's because of your Atlantis fetish?" _

_Hitomi shook her head, "More to say good-bye to it."_

******

The eclipse began seconds after Hitomi had scrambled over a cliff and fallen onto the warm sands of Boldró.

Then she stared straight up at the sun, ignoring everything she'd ever heard that told her _not _to do just that.

She heard it at the exact moment that the moon seemed to touch the sun.

Wings.

She turned.

"Hello Hitomi."

She smiled mistily, "Hello Van."

****

Something was strange.

Her feet were no longer on warm, prickly sand.

Soft grass and cheery sunlight...

She spun around.

Behind her, grass and sunlight slowly gave way to sand, an eclipsed sky and suddenly stormy beach.

"We don't have too long." He said. She looked back and saw him walk towards her.

"Will… will you disappear the moment it's over?"

He nodded.

"It's only because it's _this_ eclipse that we can see each other?"

He muttered something about bending light and energy.

"And I won't see you again? Ever? You can't come and get me later?"

He shook his head.

"Van…" she began.

"Come back."

She stared at him, "To what?"

"To Gaea." he said quietly. "To me."

She looked away from him and asked, "Did you ever wonder Van, whether we were mistaken? In that moment? We were so young, so easily moved."

"Did you?"

She took a step back, but he came forward quickly and took her hands, "Will you come back Hitomi?"

"How's Merle?" she asked, desperate not to have to answer.

"Come back and see." He said. "All you have to do is step into Gaea before the eclipse ends. She's waiting for you. They all are."

She looked back once again, the moon was slowly moving.

"The pendant?"

"I have it. It doesn't work anymore you know. I would have come if it did."

She smiled at his apologetic, nervous tone and briefly touched his cheek.

"I did wonder once or twice." She admitted. "But it's been too long."

"It doesn't matter."

She pulled her hands out of his, stepping further back - into her world.

"I can't."

He said in a suddenly harsh voice, "Yes you can. You don't want to, do you?"

She winced at his tone and said quickly, "Van I do…"

"Then come back to Gaea."

She turned away.

"I love you." He told her.

She didn't turn back to him, but stood motionless, barely breathing.

"Very much."

They stood silent, frozen and above them the moon finally passed.

Sunlight poured onto the beaches of Noronha.

*****

**There would be three moments in her life that Hitomi would never forget.**

**The third had just passed.**

******

The bellhop tried to look normal.

_He had told._

Three days.

_It was entirely his fault._

They couldn't find her.

_The pretty Senhorita from Japan was missing. _

*****

Word count: 986

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A/N:

I'd like to apologize for the license I've taken with certain facts about the 2010 annular eclipse.

So I took a few liberties with scientific, historical and linguistic facts.

But it was for the greater good! So ignore that part of your brain telling you that this years eclipse couldn't be seen in the Atlantic area and the various other little discrepancies and leave a review. If your brain's telling you nothing of that sort, MAKE SURE you leave a review!

LLL

M.S.


	7. Spirit0

**Author: Spirit0**

**Flashback**

**AN: Perhaps I have loose interpretations of what I was supposed to be doing, yeah? But that's okay, that's how I roll. I used Taylor Swift's "Love Story." Yeah, I went there.**

* * *

He opened the door and walked into the room, his eyes to adjusting to the moonlight. Sometimes he envied those automatic lights, the electricity, of her world. But he wouldn't want to turn them on anyway, probably, because he wouldn't want to wake her or the sleeping child.

He took off his clothes and put on the boxers with the hearts that she had bought him back on her world. She liked when he wore clothes from her world, especially those button-down shirts. It disappointed him a little that she didn't appreciate his royal regalia or his everyday clothes quite the same way. But it didn't really bother him, because he liked the way she slowly unbuttoned those shirts from her world, the feel of her fingers and of her lips on his increasingly exposed chest.

She shifted when he went under the covers. He looked at her shadowed face, at her mouth slightly agape and her hair spread across the pillow. The chords coming out of her ears, the headphones. She had fallen asleep listening to her iPod again. iPod. As if this little metal device contained her soul or something, as if it was released when she played the songs or videos or whatever else. It was just another one of those contraptions from her world that he didn't understand.

He removed the earpiece from her exposed ear and put it in his own ear.

_Romeo, save me, they're trying to tell me how to feel_

_This love is difficult, but it's real_

_Don't be afraid, we'll make it out of this mess_

_It's a love story, baby, just say yes_

She played this song frequently on these nights, somehow setting the iPod to repeat it over and over. "Save me, they're trying to tell me how to feel . . . we'll make it out of this mess." _I can't save you,_ he thought. _But I already said yes a thousand times, and I'll say it a hundred thousand times, a million times, however many times you need to hear it._

He pressed the top button on the iPod and paused to take in the picture. They hadn't even known they were being photographed, but he was glad, because he found that most pictures on her world were fake, fake in a different way than the portraits in his world. In this picture, one of the few pictures of them, he was kissing her forehead while her head rested on his chest and she smiled, unknowingly, at the camera. The picture disappeared after a few seconds. He turned it back on, sliding his finger across the bottom of the screen like he'd seen her do so many times before. He touched the vertical double dash line symbol that he knew would stop the song. He turned the screen off and let the contraption fall to the bed with a soft thud, wishing his thumb had caressed her lips, her cheeks, her hair, her hand, her, and not just some cold, lifeless thing.

"Hitomi," he whispered. "Hitomi, wake up."

She whined at him sleepily, angrily, but he persisted, kissing her cheek.

"Is Folken okay?" she finally whispered.

"Yes. He's asleep."

"Does he have enough blankets?"

"I don't know. I think so."

"Can you check?"

He shoved the sheets aside and walked over to his son's crib, looking down at him. He had plenty of blankets. Well, good. Van turned away.

"He's fine," he said, getting back into bed.

"Good . . ."

"I turned your iPod off," he ventured.

"Mm. You always do," she mumbled, gathering up the headphones and iPod and putting them on the table behind her.

"Why Romeo?" he whispered.

"Huh? What?"

"Why use the name Romeo? In the song."

"Oh . . ." she said, gazing at him intently in the dim light. "Well . . . There's this play called _Romeo and Juliet_. It's really famous. Romeo and Juliet are considered star-crossed lovers, which basically means that they're fated never to be together. They come from families that hate each other. But Romeo and Juliet, they try to be together anyway, but they die . . . It was kind of a stupid death, because he commits suicide when he thinks she's dead, and then she commits suicide when she wakes and finds him dead . . . But it's considered one of, if not the, I guess, greatest love story of all time. So . . . so, I dunno, Romeo is just a name that connotes a perfect guy. The greatest lover."

He moved closer to her on the bed, hugging her to him with one arm while his other hand rested on her cheek, his thumb moving back and forth. "So, am I your Romeo?"

"No," she said, and only her half-smile took off the edge. "I told you, I thought it was stupid. I thought it was just lust." She paused, and he didn't expect her to go on. She had already inferred that what they had was real. But he noticed that her smile had faded into a frown. "Van . . . you're so much better than Romeo." His thumb stopped caressing her cheek when he felt a trace of the wetness. "And we're the real star-crossed lovers."

He wanted to tell her not to cry, knew that's what he should've been whispering into her ear while stroking her hair, knew that he should've told her how much he loved her, how he'd do anything for her, how it would all be okay. But the implication of her words paralyzed him, like he'd been stabbed, and all he could do was close his eyes and try to stop the bleeding, wondering if the hole would slowly heal or if he'd bleed out.

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Word count: 965

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AN: The end was abrupt. I'm sorry. But there was a word limit. And this was simply inspired by listening to too much Taylor Swift/Snow Patrol/Coldplay. God, how do they describe feelings so perfectly?

**-Spirit0**


	8. bluetreeleaves

Author: bluetreeleaves

We Belong Together

"Good work today, Kanzaki," The Director of Corporations called from his mahogany desk. "Keep up the steady accounts and you'll be promoted by the end of the year!"

"Thank you," Hitomi smiled laboriously, hardly registering the praise. Stuffing her papers quickly into her bag, she swiftly passed the elevator doors and took the metal staircase to the right.

A healthy habit she had never grown out of.

The cool air washed over Hitomi's pale cheeks as she stepped solemnly out of the office doors and into chilly night air of autumn. The bright moon above casted a dark shadow from her long, lonely figure across the concrete tiles of Tokyo city. Heels clicking rapidly, Hitomi shifted her purse to relieve the burden on her sore shoulders. A sigh of deep exhaustion filled her weary body as she made her way hurriedly back to her one bedroom apartment.

There were no friends in this future. No light. Everything Hitomi saw was the same.

It didn't matter. There was no one to remember her anyway.

"_I'll never forget you even when I'm old_." Hitomi whispered to herself with a snort of sardonic laughter. "I must have been out of my mind. There was never anyone there."

Despite the comment her boss made, today had definitely not been a good day.

The illusions had plagued her again. The feathers were showing up more than usual.

The white feathers usually only appeared once a month at the most, but to have those illusions twice in one day would mean she was mentally going into the danger zone.

The first one began this morning as she was just entering work. While standing in line for morning coffee, the white feather floated down from the ceiling rafters' right onto the shoulder of her business suit. However, just as she reached to touch its soft angelic vein, the feather steadily vanished.

Later that afternoon, she was simply reaching in the drawer for the report papers when she nearly gasped out loud. There it was again. The feather had perched so precariously-effortless on top of her work load that she could hardly keep her heart from jumping out of her chest. The realism of it made her green eyes light up in anticipation. She actually let herself reach for the feather once again.

Her feelings were instantly quailed as the feather disappeared just like the other one.

False hope.

Another illusion.

Her doctor had said to ignore it. This was a sign of mental weakness.

"I should have ignored it all!" Hitomi harshly reprimanded herself. "This world is where I belong. The white feathers are not real! There was no tarot cards, no pendant, no Gaea!"

Spying a wooden bench further down the sidewalk, the green eyed woman nearly raced towards it. Plopping on the seat with a dreadful sigh, she kicked off her outrageously uncomfortable heels and leant her head back.

A sharp wind rustled the trees above her as she allowed herself to breathe deeply.

"This whole Gaea thing was just a fabrication. It's not real." She repeated again.

_So, why does my heart feel so happy when I see the illusions? Why am I so unhappy here?_

Lifting her head, Hitomi closed her green eyes in defeat. A small chuckle escaped her tight throat as her eyes began to burn.

"Why?" She whispered to the wind as a tear slid down her cheek. "Why couldn't it have been real?"

Wiping the rebellious tear with a trembling hand, Hitomi sniffled. Glancing down at her bag, she wondered if she might have some tissue inside.

A choking gasp escaped her.

Right there. Right there next to her bare feet.

A shiny pink pendant necklace with a golden chain lay perfectly beside her on the ground. Her breath catching in short hyperventilating waves, Hitomi could not keep herself from the hope that spread so ferociously hot throughout her entire body.

"This was… this was my…"

Reaching down, Hitomi slowly lowered her hand towards the apparition.

"This is an illusion. This is a fake. This cannot be real. Wake up, Hitomi. You have to ignore it." She whispered unthinkingly to herself.

These were the same words she had been saying for almost ten years.

The pendant was cooler than she would have imagined. It was as if it had been waiting patiently in the cold night for her to find it.

Picking the pink stone from the dusty ground, Hitomi let her eyes stare at its familiar oval shape.

"Illusions… how can they be illusions if they are this real to me?" She said hopelessly, still fingering its smooth shape.

"I've been calling you for years. You've finally answered."

Her heart froze. The voice was so clear and deep that she could hardly recognize it from her past.

Another tear slid down her smooth pale cheek as she lifted her green eyes to finally rest on her greatest illusion of all.

He had been a boy then. A young man that was so full of dreams and fire. The figure casting his shadow before her now was a man.

Beautiful tan skin, tossed black hair, eyes like the rising sun.

"Van…" She struggled to say his name. "How are… why are…?"

"You don't have to struggle anymore. You will come back with me."

Shaking her head against her hopefulness, Hitomi closed her eyes. "But I didn't belong there. You said it yourself. My world is here."

A large, calloused hand tenderly placed itself on her tear stained cheek.

"Open your beautiful green eyes and look at me, Hitomi."

Swallowing thickly, she did just as she was told. Her heart erupted wildly with a mixture of joy and relief as her eyes connected perfectly with his. Reaching up, Hitomi placed her cold, trembling hands on his warm, smiling face. A fluttering feather passed between their faces as they pulled each other closer.

"You belong with me." He whispered, finally touching his lips to hers.

And she truly believed him.

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Word Count: 999

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AN: Goodness, I never realized how wordy I write. 1,000 words is shorter than I imagined. :) Thank you so much for reading my contribution to the Escaflowne Challenge. Let's not forget to thank Suils Saifir for setting this all up! This was a really nice break from life and I just love writing V/H romances! And now it's back to my 8 page essay on Charles Dickens... yaaay...

blue...


	9. ookami123

Author: Ookami123

Lullaby

It was the stillness which kept her awake at night.

The peace. The quiet. The silence.

At home, the relentless buzzing of cars dawdling down her street until three in the morning had become almost... comforting, like the sound of heavy rain on a window. To her, their constant deepening hums formed the bare bones of a bizarre 21st century lullaby. Of course at the time she'd had no idea. But here, now...

Now it was all she could think about.

Now there was just... nothing. She could barely even hear the wind.

Running a hand down her face, she sat up, resisting the urge to groan at the thought of another sleepless night. She glanced down briefly at the slumbering form next to her, unable to hold back a smile at the sight of him, sprawled regally over half the mattress, his limbs poking out of the sheets and his eyes totally obscured by a stubborn flop of ebony hair.

"Oblivious." She muttered, shaking her head, openly jealous of his unconscious presence. His only reaction was to emit a light, satisfied snore. Hitomi rolled her eyes and took it as a cue to get out of bed.

She'd been having trouble sleeping ever since she'd returned to Gaea, over two months before. At first she'd put it down to being in a foreign country... or, you know... planet. But after a few weeks of tossing and turning, she had begun to wonder. And she hadn't been able to put her finger on it, until tonight. But now she knew. It was simply the stillness. That was it.

Scooping what must have been Van's discarded shirt from the floor, she padded over to the door leading to the room's adjoining study, donning the makeshift nightgown on the way. She winced as she turned the handle, hoping the hinges wouldn't creak and stutter. They didn't, and she slipped into the room, unheard.

There was something about Van's private study which always made her feel as if she were trespassing. From the first time she'd entered it, during a rather surreal tour of the palace (Van had insisted that he be her personal tour- guide) on the second day of her return, she had felt his presence so strongly in the room she'd almost walked straight out again. Of course he had told her she was being ridiculous, that she was welcome in there whenever she liked, but the fact was that she just didn't feel comfortable intruding. She didn't want to touch anything, didn't want to upset the atmosphere. And yet, at the same time, part of her longed to run her fingers over the back of his chair, read the books and notes on his desk, if only to feel nearer to him. Indeed, the opportunity to delve into Van's thoughts rarely occurred. He was passionate, yes, about his country, his people... about her. But he was not open, and at times she longed to read the darkness in his eyes, just for a moment.

He loved her, that much she knew, but sometimes, when he'd had a long day, when his councillors had aggravated him and his patience had been tried and tried... well, she felt as if she didn't know him at all. He would go into himself, stare at the wall or the ceiling, and just think. Sometimes he stared at her. Just... watched her. It didn't bother her, but it was in those moments, when she felt him watching, that she would have given anything to read his mind. It was in those moments that she felt the stirrings of an emotion she had banished so many years ago: doubt.

She walked over to the desk, peering at the letters and documents upon its surface. Her eyes scanned over various papers; something about piscus trade boundaries... the building plans for a new school in the town. She sighed, idly leaning on the edge of the table, and was about to return to the bedroom, when a part of the woodwork shifted beneath her hand. She moved back hastily, immediately viewing the damage and cursing her clumsiness. After a moment, she blinked. A section of the edging had clearly come loose from the desk's surface. Intrigued, she brought it away. Her eyes widened.

By an absolute stroke of luck she had somehow revealed what seemed to be a very narrow, very small compartment. And inside it, a piece of paper lay undisturbed. Her eyes darted to the open door. She wondered if she should read it. To be fair, she had only stumbled upon it by accident... it wasn't nosiness, it was just... curiosity.

Gently, quietly, she took the piece of parchment from its resting place, realising upon holding it that it was very rough, cheap stuff, torn from a notebook. Fascinated, she opened it and read.

_I have been such a fool. Every day for the past month I have been a fool. A fool for not opening my eyes, for not understanding the meaning behind this pain, this unbearable weight in my heart. I didn't see it until today. I couldn't. But I saw them on the bridge and..._

_I love her. _

_I love her._

_I can hardly believe the words, can hardly believe it is me who is writing them. But I must. I have to._

_I love her._

_And I will protect her, even if it costs me my heart. My kingdom. _

_My life._

_Hitomi. _

"Hitomi?"

His voice was barely enough to bring her out of the reverie she'd fallen into. Her eyes, wide and glazed, looked up at him, bare-chested and bed-tousled, over the paper she held in her fingertips.

His lips parted as he noted what it was she had found. Silence fell between them for a long moment.

"I—"

"Don't..." She interrupted, closing the distance between them. "Don't say anything."

She pressed her lips to his, shared his breath.

"I love you too."

She felt him smile.

"I know."

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Word count: 1,000

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A/N: CHEEEEEEEESE AHOY.

**Oh well, I love cheese and so do you. Yea, you do, you're shaking your head but I know you do.**

**Thanks for readinggg, and thanks to Suils for organising this charming collaboration. I think we should give PRIZES...**

**Anyway.**

**Toodles! **


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